Don't Eat Our Own

I came across this cartoon the other day and I thought it was funny.

Living a Show Me Faith

I grew up in a Christian home in Missouri, “The Show Me State.” Our family always took our faith seriously and some of my earliest memories involve going to church. I went to youth group in high school and was active in a campus ministry in college. Despite what I thought were all the “trappings” of a Christian lifestyle, I was stunned by a conversation that I had with a friend during my senior year. We talked a great deal about faith and I shared a little bit about my belief. At the end of our conversation, this friend of four years said to me, “Dave, I never knew you were a Christian.” I think about those words often. Do the people around me know what I really believe? Do I display my love for God in my day to day routine? I may come from “The Show Me State,” but I do not always show off my faith the way I should.

There is a popular story about a drunk named Joe who was once miraculously converted at a Bowery mission. Prior to his conversion, Joe had gained the reputation of being a dirty wino for whom there was no hope, only a miserable existence in the ghetto. But following his conversion to a new life with God, everything changed. Joe became the most caring person that anyone associated with the mission had ever known. Joe spent his days and nights hanging out at the mission doing whatever needed to be done. There was never anything that he was asked to do that he considered beneath him. Whether it was cleaning up the vomit left by some violently sick alcoholic or scrubbing the toilets after careless men left the bathroom filthy Joe did what was asked with a soft smile on his face and with gratitude for the chance to help. He could be counted on to feed feeble men who wandered into the mission off the street, and to undress and tuck into bed men who were too out of it to take care of themselves. One evening, when the director of the mission was delivering his regular evangelistic message to the usual crowd of still and sullen men with drooped heads there was one man who looked up, came down the aisle to the altar and knelt to pray, crying out for God to help him to change. This repentant drunk kept shouting, "Oh God, make me like Joe! Make me like Joe! Make me like Joe!" The director of the mission leaned over and said to the man, "Son, I think it would be better if you prayed, 'Make me like Jesus!" The man looked up at the director with a quizzical expression on his face and asked, "Is HE like Joe?"

I think a lot of us struggle with the question, “What Would Jesus Do?” The answers, of course, are not always cut and dry. It is likely we have all had some people in our lives who have exhibited the love of Christ to us. It may be a grandparent who took the time to read the Bible with us. It might be a friend who sat at our bedside while we were sick. It may be a pastor who helped us find the God who had been pursuing us all along.

I believe God comes to us through other people. Think back on the times in your life where a warm smile or a kind word really put your heart at ease. Are you passing along this legacy of love? Are you quick to judge or quick to forgive? Do you hold grudges or hold hands in love? “You must understand this, my beloved:^* let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves (James 1:19-22).” My prayer is we will all have the courage to show off our faith in this show me world.

In Hope and Confidence,

Pastor Dave

The Other Side of the Fence

The poet Robert Frost writes, “Good fences make good neighbors.” He is pointing out the need for some level of privacy in all of our relationships; that things work out better when we keep a healthy distance from our neighbors. Unfortunately, many of us take this axiom to an extreme and struggle with putting up walls in our lives. In keeping our distance we often fail to see those God is calling us to love.

The theologian William Barclay writes about a group of soldiers during World War II who had lost a friend in battle and wanted to give their fallen comrade a decent burial. So they found a church with a graveyard behind it, surrounded by a white fence. They found the parish priest and asked if their friend could be buried there in the church graveyard.

“Was he Catholic?” the priest inquired.

“No he was not,” answered the soldiers.

“I’m sorry, then,” said the priest. “Our graveyard is reserved for members of the holy church. But you can bury your friend outside the fence. I will see that the gravesite is cared for.”

“Thank you Father,” said the soldiers, and they proceeded to bury their friend just outside the graveyard on the other side of the fence.

When the war had finally ended, before the soldiers returned home, they decided to visit the gravesite of their friend. They remembered the location of the church – and the grave, just outside the fence. They searched for it, but couldn’t find it. Finally, they went to the priest to inquire as to its location.

“Sir, we cannot find our friend’s grave,” said the soldiers to the priest.

“Well,” answered the priest. “After you buried your fallen friend, it just didn’t seem right to me that he should be buried there, outside the fence.”

“So you moved his grave?” asked the soldiers.

“No,” said the priest. “I moved the fence.”

I wonder how many times in life I look at people around me as “outside the fence.” They may look different, dress different or live in a different neighborhood. They may worship at another church or not go to church all together. They may support a different presidential candidate or work for a different cause. It is very easy to label others and thus keep our distance. When our ideas or assumptions are challenged, we build up our fence all the higher and make sure we surround ourselves with people who see the world the exact same way.

I believe many of us live in gated communities of faith. We gather all the like-minded people on one side and leave the “other folks” on the outside. We wonder why the church is not growing, while all the while we are pushing people away. The Bible is filled with many stories of religious types trying to get Jesus to condemn someone on the outside. This includes drunks, tax collectors and a woman who had committed adultery. Every time the proper church going folk called on Jesus to condemn these people outside the fence, Jesus welcomed them in. Jesus moved the fence so that God’s love would include them. God moved the fence so that we could be written into the divine plan of salvation.

As we celebrate Valentine’s Day and remember those we love with cards, candy and flowers, let’s not forget about those on the other side of the fence. God calls all of us to mirror the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. Good fences may make good neighbors, but they make lousy Christians. Take down your walls and make it a point to reach out to others. Make it a point to move your fence and love your neighbors.

In Hope and Confidence,

Pastor Dave

Why Don’t You Just Give Up?

“Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.” – Vince Lombardi

I do not know of anyone who likes to be known as a quitter. When I played sports growing up, that was just about the worst thing anyone could call you. However, as I reflect on the race of life that we are running, I am reminded of the need to prepare our hearts for Easter and be strong as we journey with Jesus towards the cross. The best way to do this is to quit our selfishness and to start serving others.

Christians all over the world began a special journey this past Wednesday. This is a 40 day trek that will take them through Lent and into Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. This is a season of prayer, penitence and self -reflection. All followers of Christ, regardless of their denomination are called to get their hearts right with the Lord. Some think this requires believers to give up something they love in order to grow closer to God. While there are certainly Godly benefits to personal sacrifice, it is not an end in itself. There is more to it than that. Sacrifice without service is ultimately a very hollow experience. The Lord wants our entire lives to glorify God.

This time before Holy Week is there for all of us to take a personal inventory of our lives and confess our shortcomings to our loving Lord. The Scriptures remind us that everyone sins and fall short of God’s divine plan. The problem is compounded when we act as if we have made no mistakes and attack those we deem “sinners”. The Bible tells many stories of God forgiving those who are truly sorry for their actions and desire a new life. One good example comes to us in Matthew 9:10-13. “And as Jesus sat at dinner^* in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting^* with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

I encourage all of you to be quitters in the coming months. Stop thinking about yourself and start looking out for your neighbors. You may find that your burden becomes much lighter when you help someone else carry their load. Quit gossiping and bickering amongst yourselves. A kind word at a difficult time can make a world of difference in a neighbor’s life. Stop trying to sacrifice for the Lord and start serving God’s kingdom and one another. Quitting is a wonderful thing when we put aside unhealthy habits and honor God with merciful hearts.

The 19^th Century Preacher Henry Ward Beecher puts it best when he writes, “In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up that makes us rich.”

I pray that God will richly bless you in the coming 40 days as you grow closer to God and one another.

In Hope and Confidence,

Pastor Dave

Let Go of the Past? That'll Be The Day!

“A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.”

– Don McLean’s American Pie

The beginning of February means a lot of different things for a lot of different people. For some folks (mainly up north) it means Groundhog Day and celebrating the tipping point of winter and the movement towards spring. For the political junkies out there, it marks Super Tuesday and the race for the White House. Growing up it always meant something a little different for me. I was a huge fan of Buddy Holly and, as many of you might know, he died in a plane crash in the early morning hours of February 3^rd, 1959. This event was immortalized in song by Don McLean in his song “American Pie” when he referred to the crash as the “day the music died.” It is a nostalgic ballad about the roots of rock or roll and the loss of innocence. It is beautiful, poetic and catchy, but it is also filled with a deep sadness fueled by unfulfilled expectations.

I know that many of us have a melancholy spirit when we look back to the past. There are certainly happy times, but it feels like human nature to focus on the negative. We know that we should be joyous, but we are overcome by memories of poor choices, failed relationships and unfulfilled dreams. It can lead to a lot of anxiety, worry and grief.

The good news is you do not have to live like that. In fact, the Bible tells us that Jesus came that we might live life to the fullest. There will always be hurts from the past, but God has given us God’s Spirit to help us overcome. The Apostle Paul writes the church in Corinth about the Lord’s comfort even in the midst of our most difficult times. “For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation (2 Corinthians 1:5-7).”

There are some that believe that when we mess up, God is right there to make us feel guilty. While the Lord’s plan for us is holiness, I do not believe that God wants us to be overcome with guilt. The Lord will convict us of our sin, but only in a call to repentance and to live a more abundant life. We no longer need to be captives to the past, because God owns our future. God’s grace is bigger than your mistakes, no matter what they may be. Paul writes the believers in Rome that, “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Romans 5:20).”

February may make you shiver, but take heart, there is good news on your door step. You are not a slave to your past. God owns yesterday, walks with us today and promises to see you through tomorrow.

In Hope and Confidence,
Dave

OOOPS!

I am sure that many of you have already seen this clip of the Miss Teen South Carolina butchering her answer about maps during the Q&A portion of the event. It is very funny and very uncomfortable to watch her struggle with the answer. There are two possible reasons for her failure. She did not know the answer (which is more than a little concerning) or she was so overwhelmed by the moment, the lights and that hunk A.C. Slater, ehrr, Mario Lopez that she buckled under the pressure.



This young lady made a big goof on national television. Of course the only real difference between the two of us is that I make most of my mistakes away from the public eye (and I know how to read a map.) The Apostle Paul writes the church in Rome about all of us falling short from time to time.

"But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-24, The Message.)"

Pray today that we will all live the lives that God has called us to. I hope you have a great week, such as.

In Hope and Confidence,

Dave

Customer Service Woes

I don't know how many of you all out in cyberland read this little blog, but I thought I would channel St. Augustine and write my own little version of "Confessions." I pride myself (which sounds like a sin in itself) in my deep patience and abundant self control. Our daughter Amelia tests this every night when it's time to go to bed. She loves sleep, but hates going to bed. Go figure. Every night is a battle, but we trust that God is teaching us patience in the process. Speaking of patience, I can hang out with teenagers for days on summer trips and overnighters. That alone should add a few gems into my heavenly crown.

All that said, yesterday my patience ran out. A day later, I feel a little better, but I still have that knot in my gut reminding me of my still strong case of righteous indignation. What would turn a mild mannered Presbyterian pastor into sullen, angry and bitter man? The simple answer, corporate incompetence.

You see, Sarah and I purchased a digital camera a couple of years ago to document the life of our first born child. We went ahead and purchased the extended warranty from Sam's Club just to be on the safe side. Sure enough, right around the birth of our second child, the camera gave out. Several attempts to fix the unit proved unsuccessful and finally a nice man named Mike from a camera store in Anaheim, California told me it was a lemon. Representatives from Sam's Club told me I would have to fax in the receipt saying it could not be fixed in order to receive a refund. I did this a month and a half ago. I don't always trust that faxes have gone through so I called to confirm its receipt just to make sure.

Two weeks pass and there is no word from Sam's so I call. I am told that everything is fine and it takes a few weeks to process this kind of request. Another week passes and I call again and get the same answer...and I got something similar last week when I called in. Yesterday, I checked the mailbox again and again, the refund check was no where to be found. I called into Sam's Club and after waiting the obligatory 20 minutes to talk to someone, I was told that they had no record of receiving my original fax and that I would need to send it back in. Of course, they had told me on four separate occasions before that it was in their system and all I needed to do was wait patiently for the check that was coming soon.

Even now, I have to take a deep breath as I write this. At best, I had to deal with ignorance or incompetence. At worst, I just got a taste of a corporate deceit. Of course, this is nothing new. Ask anyone who has problems with insurance companies. It can take several phone calls to solve a problem. There is a part of me that wonders if they make it too difficult that customers will eventually give up. I feel this may be the unwritten policy with many faceless corporations.



I know that I should bring this back to God and provide some kind of spiritual insight. Maybe the lesson learned is that if you rely strictly on human beings you will be disappointed. When you really want answers, you might just get the stock line of "I understand that must be discouraging to you," which really translates into "I will not help you." God doesn't use corporate-ese in the way He deals with us. God is always steady. God is always loving. God is always there to help. We trust that God is the one who provides love and love is patient. My prayer is that I can be patient through this process and not allow the wrongs I experience take me away from God's call on my life.

In Hope and Confidence,
Dave